Isolated thunderstorms impacted the southeast Georgia area in the mid to late afternoon hours. A couple of these thunderstorms became strong enough to produce damaging wind gusts.
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Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS CHS wrote it up.
Isolated thunderstorms impacted the southeast Georgia area in the mid to late afternoon hours. A couple of these thunderstorms became strong enough to produce damaging wind gusts.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Charleston, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 29, 2:44 PM EST, 3 hours 1 minute earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Charleston SC 344 PM EDT Fri May 29 2020 .SYNOPSIS... A cold front will slowly approach the region from the west tonight and Saturday, moving offshore late Saturday night. High pressure will then build into the area and prevail through the middle of next week. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM SATURDAY MORNING/... Through Sunset: Radar indicates convection over portions of our area. For the past few hours the HRRR has shown the least convection compared to all of the other models, and has been correct or possibly a little overdone compared to reality. This along with the aforementioned radar forced us to lower POPs for the next few hours. However, with PWATs approaching 2", any convection that moves overhead will easily dump heavy rain, so minor flooding remains a concern, especially if there is any training of cells and/or backbuilding. SPC Mesoscale analysis shows MLCAPEs peaking in the 1,500-2,000 J/kg range. But this seems a little overdone given the lack of lightning activity. Hence, we only have a chance of thunderstorms for the next few hours. Tonight: Mid-level troughing will prevail over the East Coast, slightly amplifying through the night. A surface cold front will approach from the west. Most of the showers/thunderstorms are expected to dissipate during the evening. Though, some isolated/scattered showers could persist, so we have chance POPs. Temperatures will be several degrees above normal. Finally, with the wet grounds and lowering stratus, there's a small risk of fog. But confidence, isn't high enough to have it in the forecast. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY/... Saturday and Saturday night: Aloft, the forecast area will sit within the broad trough and cyclonic flow around a large upper low well to the north. At the surface, a cold front will start the day stretching from the Florida panhandle across central Georgia and the western Carolinas. The front will slowly make eastward progress through the day, and is progged to push off the coast by sunrise Sunday. Ahead of the front during the day, we will remain in the warm moist southerly flow. We should see plenty of destabilization and one more day of numerous to widespread coverage of showers and thunderstorms. One notable difference from Friday will be drier air in the mid-levels, evident in model soundings. This will allow for DCAPE values to rise to around 1,000 J/kg in the afternoon and will yield a modestly higher severe weather threat, primarily for damaging wind gusts. Overall, there isn't much to help organize thunderstorms and development and evolution will largely be determined by boundary interactions. Prior to the start of convection, temperatures should be able to warm into the mid and upper 80s. Overnight as the front reaches the coast and then moves offshore, at least scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue. The forecast features rain chances varying in the 30-50 percent range, diminishing by sunrise Sunday as the front makes it offshore. Sunday through Monday: Overall, much quieter conditions will arrive with lessening coverage of diurnal convection. Despite the front being offshore Sunday, high pressure will build in and help push a trailing surface trough southward along the coast. There should be enough low-level convergence to kick off isolated to scattered convection in the afternoon and we have maintained 20-30 percent rain chances. This activity should be focused along the coast. As the high more completely builds in Monday, a notable airmass change will take place. In addition to there being no convection expected, temperatures are expected to cool off nicely. Highs are forecast to range mainly in the low 80s which would be around 5 degrees below normal for early June. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... High pressure will shift into the Atlantic on Tuesday and then remain the dominant feature into Thursday, although troughing will develop inland. Aloft, ridging will encompass much of the southern half of the country. Models are in good agreement showing a quiet period with minimal rain chances. Temperatures will gradually warm as return flow sets up and heights build aloft. && .AVIATION /19Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... 18Z TAFs: Convection is expected this afternoon into early evening. Impacts seem more likely at CHS, so we have a TEMPO group with MVFR due to TSRA. However, brief IFR is possible, so we may need to amend based on radar trends. Conditions start to improve later this evening as convection wanes. However, models seem to indicate stratus forming overnight, leading to MVFR. Though, it seems more likely at CHS and for a longer time period. Conditions at both sites improve towards the end of the TAF time period. Extended Aviation Outlook: Thunderstorms could impact KCHS and KSAV Saturday afternoon and evening. Otherwise, VFR. && .MARINE... Tonight: The coastal waters will be situated between high pressure in the Atlantic and troughing over land. Outside of scattered convection, sustained winds will average 10-15 kt. Seas will average 3-4 ft. Saturday through Wednesday: Ahead of a cold front, conditions will remain below Small Craft Advisory thresholds through Saturday night. The front will move off the coast late Saturday night and high pressure will build in from the north into Monday. As the high builds in, winds will steadily strengthen and become northeasterly on Sunday. Winds and seas will both increase Sunday into Monday and Small Craft Advisories will likely be needed for at least portions of the local waters. Conditions will improve Monday evening and remain below advisory thresholds into the middle of next week. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...None. SC...None. MARINE...None. && NEAR TERM... SHORT TERM...BSH LONG TERM...ETM AVIATION... MARINE...
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Charleston SC 315 PM EDT Fri May 29 2020 AMZ330-350-352-354-374-GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040- 042>045-047>052-301915- Charleston Harbor- Waters from South Santee River to Edisto Beach SC out 20 NM- Waters from Edisto Beach SC to Savannah GA out 20 NM- Waters from Savannah GA to Altamaha Sound GA out 20 NM, including Grays Reef National Marine Sanctuary- Waters from Savannah GA to Altamaha Sound GA from 20 to 60 NM- Jenkins-Screven-Candler-Bulloch-Effingham-Tattnall-Evans- Inland Bryan-Coastal Bryan-Inland Chatham-Coastal Chatham-Long- Inland Liberty-Coastal Liberty-Inland McIntosh-Coastal McIntosh- Allendale-Hampton-Inland Colleton-Dorchester-Inland Berkeley- Inland Jasper-Beaufort-Coastal Colleton-Charleston-Coastal Jasper- Tidal Berkeley- 315 PM EDT Fri May 29 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Atlantic coastal waters, southeast Georgia and southeast South Carolina. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter assistance is not anticipated at this time.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
607 PM EDT FRI MAY 29 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0559 PM HEAVY RAIN 2 SW LADSON 32.97N 80.14W
05/29/2020 M3.99 INCH DORCHESTER SC TRAINED SPOTTER
NEARLY 4 INCHES OF RAIN IN ONE HOUR WAS REPORTED BY A
STORM SPOTTER. SOME MINOR PONDING OF WATER ON STREETS IN
THAT AREA WAS ALSO REPORTED.
&&
EVENT NUMBER CHS2000386
RFMThe Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 109 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:45 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A large tree was reported down on Highway 196 at Groover Road.
A tree was reported down on Smiley Cross Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, May 2020
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 895393, 895394.